Helping Hand
by Prufrock Sheldon II
Summary: Lana Skye meets Miles Edgeworth shortly after his first trial. Mostly onsided EdgeworthxLana. Sorry for the fail title. It's also my first time writing anything romantic, so...be kind!
1. Encounter

**I've had the idea for this for a while. Basically, since Lana was described as caring before SL-9, I think she'd be one to be concerned with Edgeworth, always the angsty one. XD Anyway, if you could read and review, that would mean a lot to me! **

**I apologize in advance for any typos made. Or if it's not coherent. I wrote this quickly, so... yeah. =)**

--

"Hey! Lana!"

Lana Skye looked up to see her colleagues, Neil and Jake Marshall waving at her. She waved back, and made her way through the crowd of conversing people to see them.

"Hi Jake, Neil." She nodded to her companions. "Um…can you remind me again what's going on? I think I missed the memo." Tucking her hair behind one ear, she laughed nervously. "I didn't miss anyone's birthday, did I?"

"Ha!" Jake laughed. "No problemo, m'am. See, there's a new kid in town."

"What he means…" said Neil, cutting off his younger brother, "is that there's a new prosecutor. Name of Miles Edgeworth."

"Edgeworth…Edgeworth…" Lana murmured to herself. She racked through her knowledge of past cases. "As in…DL-6?"

"Yup," Neil nodded solemnly. "Gregory Edgeworth's kid. Raised by that von Karma fella."

"Really?!" Lana exclaimed. "…and now he's already a prosecutor? DL-6 was about eleven years ago, right? So now he's…"

"Twenty," said Jake, cutting off his older brother in retaliation. "Only twenty years old." He tipped his hat and smirked. "Young little bronco, ain't he?"

Still glaring at Jake, Neil whispered to Lana, "I've heard he's some sort of genius, that Edgeworth kid. Prob'ly because of what von Karma taught him."

"Yeah," Lana said, only half-listening. She glanced at the crowd. "Hey Neil," she said. "Where is he?"

"There." Jake pointed to the corner at a young man. Lana observed him. His greyed hair hung slightly over his dark eyes that bore a serious expression. Dressed in some sort of extravagant uniform, his arms were crossed as he looked immensely irritated by the detective that was speaking to him so enthusiastically.

As Lana began to walk away, Jake grabbed onto her arm. "Just where do you think you're goin'? M'am?" he added quickly.

She smiled at him uncertainly. "To greet him, of course. It's only right, as one of the head detectives…"

"I don't think he really wants to be disturbed," said Neil solemnly. "I heard he's still upset over his first case. And it's already been a week…"

"Really? What happened?"

Looking around to make sure no one else was watching, Neil leaned in and whispered, "His first trial ended with the death of the defendant. But, from what I've heard, the defense attorney had him stuck in a corner until the end."

"…and?"

"'And' what?" Neil gave her a puzzled look. "He's been raised under the von Karma roof. Do you know what Manfred von Karma's like?"

Lana returned an equally puzzled look. "All I know is that he's never lost a case-"

"Exactly. They strive for perfection. They take it very, _very_ seriously."

"…Oh…"

"So, let's not bother him, 'kay?" Jake pitched in.

Lana smiled slightly. "I think it's all the more reason to, actually." She turned around, and walked away, leaving Neil and Jake staring at her.

--

"Hello…erm…Miles?"

Miles Edgeworth looked up sharply. He saw a young woman with light brown hair smiling at him. He frowned. _Why is she smiling? _But, remembering his manners, he bowed slightly. "Hello. And, you are?"

The woman smiled. "Lana. Lana Skye." She extended a hand to shake, but Edgeworth kept his arms crossed.

"Detective Skye!" exclaimed the enthused detective that had been previously torturing Edgeworth. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

Lana Skye laughed softly. "Why on earth would you think that, Gumshoe? The entire police force has been invited."

"Oh, right," Gumshoe mumbled. "Well, I guess since Chief Gant wasn't here…"

"He'll be arriving soon," Lana said shortly. "Now, Gumshoe, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Miles here."

"Miles?" Gumshoe bore a look of utter confusion. "…Oh! You mean Mr. Edgeworth! Got it." He began to walk away. "See ya later, sir!" he called joyously.

As he disappeared into the crowd, Edgeworth let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he mumbled. "He hasn't left me alone since…that trial…" At this, he looked away. He only heard Lana say, "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Edgeworth turned his head back around quickly, with a look of anger and, perhaps, embarrassment on his face. "Have you come to laugh at the disgrace of a prosecutor that everyone has been talking about? Go on! Laugh!"

As soon as he said this, he looked up at Lana and noticed that she didn't look as though she had come to ridicule him. She had a look of concern, sympathy. And hurt. Edgeworth, feeling horribly guilty, turned around again, unable to meet her eyes.

"I-…I apologize," he choked out. "I…I thought…"

Lana smiled sadly at him. _This must be what all of those years under such a harsh mentor has done to him._

She gripped his shoulder encouragingly. "It's no problem. And," she pulled him to turn him back around and looked him square in the eye. "Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

Edgeworth looked into her eyes. They were very pretty, he noticed. Oddly comforting. They seemed to be endless, so honest. _Wait, why am I noticing this…? _he thought. Also, he realized that she was standing rather closely to him. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He had never stood so close to a girl before. There was Franziska, of course, but she didn't really count.

Despite her smile and eyes, Edgeworth couldn't just wish away his worries about his first trial. He stared back at her coldly. "No such words can change what happened, Ms. Skye."

Lana stepped back. "True, but…" She paused to think, or at least pretended to. "Wasn't it a mistrial?"

"Yes, so?"

"So…" Lana said, smiling again. "The trial was invalid. _It never happened._ So…you don't have to remember it, do you?"

"…!"

"So, next time, you'll just be starting with a clean slate. I've heard how important your…_perfection _is to you." Lana looked up at him. "So."

Edgeworth's look of surprise soon transformed into a smirk. "Of course. I have already considered that."

"Then why did you look so shocked?"

"…Because…I was surprised that a mere detective would have such knowledge of the law," he spoke, regaining a pompous air. "The only detectives I've encountered don't even know Miranda Rights from their Bill of Rights."

Lana laughed. Edgeworth looked at her with a mildly confused expression.

"Well, it just so happens that this 'mere detective' is a bit smarter than the average bear, hm?" She turned to leave. "I'll see you later, then, Miles." As she began to walk-

"Edgeworth."

Lana turned back around. "Hm?"

"Please, just call me Edgeworth," said Edgeworth seriously. "I…don't go by 'Miles'."

Lana grinned. She said, "Alright. I'll see you later, Prosecutor Edgeworth," and departed into the crowd.

--

A few minutes later, Gumshoe returned with a cup of water in hand. He extended it to Edgeworth, who rejected it without looking.

"…Is something the matter, sir?"

"…Detective."

Gumshoe straightened up. "Yes, sir!"

"What do you know about Detective Lana Skye?"

Gumshoe looked down at his young boss. He had a look of intent concentration toward the crowd of people in the center of the room, all making small talk. He didn't look as though he was looking at or for anyone in particular, but rather was lost in thought. It was rather philosophical-looking, Gumshoe believed.

"Lana? I mean, uh, Detective Skye?" Gumshoe corrected himself in response to Edgeworth's stern glare. "Oh, she's a sweet gal, always looking out for others. Sweet kid sister, too. _And_, she's a smart one, Lana. She even beat most of the prosecutors in our Police Station vs. Prosecutor's Office Trivia game last year!" He puffed out his chest proudly. "We won with her on our side."

"…"

"Um… and I also know that she studied to become a prosecutor in school," Gumshoe added, feeling that Edgeworth wanted more information. "She was the top of her class, I heard. But now, she's working as a detective to have some work in the field."

Edgeworth turned and looked at Gumshoe. "Thank you, Detective," he said seriously, with a small smile. "That will be all."

Gumshoe, taking this as a sign of acceptance, beamed proudly. "Thank you, sir! I'm glad I could help!" He bounded off to join the crowd

As the bumbling detective departed, Edgeworth's thoughts returned to that other, calm, collected, kind detective. Never before had he experienced such kindness. At least, not that he could remember.

_Lana Skye…I hope we have the opportunity to meet again._

--

**So, I'm hoping to make this longer (hopefully extending to SL-9 or perhaps slightly after), but I would like some feedback on this first! **

**Also, even though I'm an adamant FranziskaxEdgeworth supporter, I still don't think that 20-year-old Edgeworth would fall in love with a 13-year-old girl. So, any shippers of that pairing, please don't be offended.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	2. Decision

**Chapter 2 is up! =D I hope it's better! (I didn't write it at midnight like the first chapter)…Thanks for reading!**

_--_

_~Three Weeks Later…_

Edgeworth stood outside of the records room of the police station, tapping his foot impatiently as Gumshoe looked frantically for the keys to the room.

"I know I left them in my coat pocket, sir!" he cried desperately. "I know it!"

"Detective, you also claimed to 'know' that the case files from last time were placed in my brief case when, in fact, they were somehow in your car," said Edgeworth coldly.

Gumshoe drooped at this reminder of his latest salary cut. "I'm sorry, sir. But we still won that one, didn't we?"

"That's irrelevant." Edgeworth's irritation became more and more obvious with the raising of his voice. "I don't have the luxury to waste time here, you idiot. So open that door or else—"

" 'Or else' what, Mr. Edgeworth?" said a voice.

Edgeworth turned around. It was Lana, with a confident smile on her face. She turned to face him. "…Well? Is there a problem here?"

Embarassed, Edgeworth looked away. "I..I was just trying to get the detective to open the door."

"Oh, really?" Lana's smile turned slightly cold. "There are better ways of doing so, Mr. Edgeworth. For example…" she reached into her bag. "Gumshoe here doesn't have the keys because…" She pulled something out. "…I do."

Still smiling, she tossed the keys to the confused detective. "Sorry, Gumshoe. I was afraid you might lose them."

"N-not at all, m'am!" exclaimed Gumshoe. "I probably _would_ lose them!"

Lana laughed. She looked back at Edgeworth. "See, there are better ways of getting what you want, Prosecutor Edgeworth. Keep that in mind, okay?"

Without another word, she walked away, leaving Edgeworth looking ashamedly at the floor.

--

"Thank you so much, sir!" cried Gumshoe, eyes brimming with tears. "This is the kindest thing anyone's ever done for me!"

"It's just a simple meal, Detective," Edgeworth muttered. They were seated at a simple diner, highly unorthodox to what Edgeworth was accustomed to. "And…I apologize. For being so rude earlier."

"It's okay, sir! I'm used to it by now! In fact, there was this one time…"

As the excitable detective began to ramble, Edgeworth began to filter out his drabble and thought back to Lana.

…_She seemed so disappointed in me. Or maybe I'm just over-thinking it. She probably doesn't even care. But her eyes… looked disappointed. Still, she looked rather lovely today…Wait! I'm doing it again! Why do I keep thinking about her… oh never mind. It's probably nothing…_

"…Isn't that right, sir?"

"Hm? Oh, um, yes. Right"

Gumshoe looked over at his young companion. "Mr. Edgeworth? Are you okay, sir?"

"Yes, yes." Edgeworth waved his hand in the air in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

"…Because you seem pretty lost in thought. Wha'cha thinking about?"

"Nothing!" Edgeworth said all too quickly.

"Can I try to guess?"

"…"

Taking his stony silence as a 'yes', Gumshoe said, "Alright, then. Let's see… is it the case tomorrow?"

Edgeworth shook his head.

"Is it…my mistake?"

Another headshake.

"Is it…Lana?"

Edgeworth looked up sharply. "Wh-why on Earth would you think that?"

"Aha!" Gumshoe pumped his fists in the air triumphantly. "Now I know what it feels like to break a witness! …Not that I'd ever be a defense attorney," he added quickly.

"Answer my question, Detective," Edgeworth said with a dangerously quiet voice.

"Hm? Oh, no reason."

"Good."

Edgeworth turned back away, head propped up on his hand. Gumshoe, deciding to pursue the subject further, called out,

"Oh! Hello, Detective Skye!"

At this, Edgeworth sat up immediately and fixed his ostentatious attire into place. "What?! Where?" When he realized that Lana was nowhere near them, he turned to Gumshoe, who was grinning widely.

"What was the meaning of that outburst, Detective?" said Edgeworth, trying to recollect his calm disposure, but still blushing furiously.

"I was right, wasn't I?" asked the detective smugly. He leaned in toward his companion. "You _liiiiiike_ her, don't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Edgeworth snapped, cheeks still a slightly faded crimson. "I-…I just …appreciate her intellect. That is all."

"I bet that's not all you appreciate, huh, sir?" Gumshoe grinned smugly.

Edgeworth turned even more red. "Detective! That is a highly inappropriate statement!"

"But it's true, isn't it, sir?" Receiving a furious glare from his boss, Gumshoe added, "The 'you liking her' part, right?"

"…" Edgeworth thought back to Lana. _I suppose, it's…possible. But! A possibility is not enough to prove anything. Right. So, there needs to be more evidence to prove such a…ludicrous theory._

Sensing that Edgeworth didn't want to talk anymore, Gumshoe thanked him for the meal, and left, leaving Edgeworth to be alone with his thoughts.

--

_~A few days later…_

"Alright, Ema. I think it's time for you to sleep, now." Lana smiled down on her younger sister. "It's already 10:30, and you have school tomorrow."

"But Lana!" Ema exclaimed in protest. "I'm almost done with this chapter! Just let me finish this one, pleeeease?" She waved her copy of a science-fiction novel she recently purchased and gave her sister the "puppy-eyes look".

Lana sighed, pretending to be exasperated. "Very well. Just one more chapter."

"Yay! Thanks Lana, you're the best!"

Laughing, Lana got up from Ema's bedside. "I know."

As she settled herself into a cozy armchair, the phone rang. _Who calls at this time of night?_ Lana thought. She picked up the phone. "…Hello?"

"Hey, Lana, long time, no talk."

Recognizing the voice on the line, Lana smiled. "Oh, hello, Mia. It _has_ been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, I was planning to talk to you sooner, but….things happened…"

Lana remembered the events that had been plastered over the headlines. The suicide of Terry Fawles, Mia's first client, as well as the recent poisoning of her colleague and close friend, Diego Armando.

"I…I'm so sorry. It must be hard."

Mia laughed a bit sadly on the other line. "Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault. I'm perfectly fine. But…" she picked up a brighter tone. "How've _you_ been? Anything new?"

Lana still felt that Mia wasn't 'perfectly fine', but decided not to pursue it. "Oh, I've been good. Nothing new, except…" Lana remembered her encounter with Edgeworth earlier that day. "We got a new prosecutor, I suppose."

Lana heard a rush of static that was Mia sighing on the other phone. "Great. An adversary for me to face. Who is it?"

"…Miles Edgeworth."

"Miles Edgeworth?" Mia exclaimed in surprise and anger. "That jerk I faced off in court with?! He's such a— I mean…" Remembering that she was talking with someone who could be his colleague, she toned down her commentary. "He's…not…very nice, is he?"

Lana smiled. "Well, I think he may come off as a bit cold, but I think he's just a normal twenty-year-old deep down. Deep, _deep_ down."

"Well, it's good to hear that he's not just a robot," Mia laughed. "If he wasn't a prosecutor, I'd say he was kind of cute."

At this, Lana laughed. "You make it sound like prosecutors and defense attorneys are two different species."

"…Aren't they?"

They both laughed. _It's nice to talk like this_, Lana thought. _It's almost like back in college…_"I suppose you're right, Mia."

"About what? Prosecutors and defense attorneys being two species, or him being attractive?"

"…Hm." Lana answered ambiguously.

"Come on, Lana!" cried Mia desperately. "You know it's true!"

Lana smiled. "Mia, you always were so excitable over boys."

"No, it's not like that! I'm just using my powers of observation."

Deciding not to point out that Mia could observe nothing when they were not talking face to face, Lana sighed. "Alright. I admit it. He's…attractive. But—" she paused due to Mia's cries of "Oh, Lana! I'm so happy for you!". "But, he's only a colleague. Nothing more."

"Suuure…"

"I mean it."

"Whatever you say."

Lana could sense the sarcasm in Mia's voice, but decided to drop the subject. "Well, Mia, it was nice talking to you again."

"Same here. We should get coffee sometime. Or…" Mia's voice faltered slightly. "…Maybe not coffee."

"…? Alright. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

As Lana hung up the phone, she thought about what Mia said. She thought back to Miles Edgeworth.

_I bet if he had a friend, he wouldn't be so unapproachable_, she thought. _…That's it!_

_Miles Edgeworth, I'll make you a friend if it's the last thing I do!_

--

**I'm sorry for the lame ending, and possible OOC-ness from Lana. Since in the games, we only see her as a rather distant character, it's hard to know what she was like before, so I just sort of make it up as I go along.**

**Also, just in case you didn't get the coffee thing with Mia… I didn't think she'd be up to drinking coffee because it reminds her of Diego… so, yeah.**

**And I must say, writing an embarrassed Edgeworth is sooo much fun. :3**

**Please review! Thanks!**


	3. Embarrassment

Edgeworth peered curiously through the window of the pet shop, hoping to find something for his dog. To his disappointment, the shop was only filled with useless trinkets of no real value. Sighing, Edgeworth turned to leave, but then heard a frighteningly familiar voice say…

"Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

Hesitantly, Edgeworth looked over his shoulder and winced. It was Lana Skye, accompanied by someone (_Is that…Mia Fey? _Edgeworth tried to recall his first opponent in court), both loaded with shopping bags.

Mia recognized Edgeworth from their courtroom encounter and her eyes widened for a moment. Then, after giving him a look somewhere between anger, disappointment, and sympathy, she checked her nonexistent wristwatch and said, "You know, Lana…I have to go. But, I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Lana smiled. "Of course. We should do this again sometime."

"Later!"

With a rather brisk powerwalk, Mia departed, leaving Lana and Edgeworth face to face.

They stood in a slightly awkward silence for a moment. Then, Lana asked, "So…what are you doing here, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I was just…looking." Edgeworth wanted to walk away, but felt paralyzed, both of mind and body.

"Oh? What's this?" Lana peered into the pet shop. "Thinking about buying a dog?"

"I…um…I already have one," Edgeworth said with a great deal of uncertainty.

Lana grinned at him. "Really? What's his name?"

"Erm…Pess." Signs of embarrassment now openly showed themselves upon Edgeworth's face. He held a hand up to his face. _Dammit, I'm blushing. Why?! Why does this keep happening? Every time I see her, it's as though…. No! This is preposterous to even think of that…_

Lana observed Edgeworth's obvious discomfort, and said to change the topic, "I was on my way to buy some lunch. Would you like to come?"

After pausing to think, Edgeworth nodded with a serious expression. _It would be rude to refuse a lady a meal, wouldn't it?_

They stopped at a restaurant on the side of the road. "How does this look, Mr. Edgeworth?" Lana asked.

"…Yes, sure."

They were quickly seated at a table toward the back. Edgeworth glanced about the restaurant. It was rather dimly lit, with failing lamps set overhead of bringing some light into the small establishment. _It's such a small restaurant_, though Edgeworth. _Of all the places, why would Lana—I mean, Ms. Skye, choose this one?_

"Hm…What are you thinking of getting, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth turned his head back to her quickly, but then looked away, cheeks a faint pink. "I…I'm not hungry."

"What, really?" Lana looked at him with mock surprise. "I'm sorry! I dragged you along!"

"It's no problem, really," said Edgeworth quickly. Then, after thinking over his words, he turned back away, resting his head on his hand.

"Well, I don't want to be the only one eating…" Lana set down the menu. "Are you sure you don't want anything? We could share, if you're not that hungry."

Edgeworth looked at her. Her pleading eyes were very….persuasive. He sighed. "Alright. What would you like?"

"I don't mind." She smiled at him. "You should choose, since I'm forcing you to eat."

Edgeworth shook his head. "No, the lady should choose."

"Oh, I'm 'the lady' now, am I?" Lana laughed. "I've never been called that before…"

"It wasn't an insult!" Edgeworth panicked, worried that he had insulted her. But she only laughed more.

"Mr. Edgeworth, I wasn't complaining." She gave him a clever smile. "But anyway…" she focused back on the menu. "I think I'll just have…. A slice of cheesecake. How does that sound?"

"…Sure." Edgeworth wasn't the biggest fan of sweets in general, but he supposed that this time wouldn't hurt.

"Great!" She waved over the waiter and ordered. As they were waiting, Lana attempted to start up a conversation.

"I almost didn't recognize you today, Mr. Edgeworth," Lana joked. "Without your usual prosecuting attire, I mean."

It was true, Edgeworth wasn't wearing his daily garb, but rather a suit jacket and vest. He still wore his cravat, though.

"Oh, yes…" Edgeworth picked at his clothes self-consciously. "I…didn't think I would see anyone today, or else I would not have dressed so casually."

Lana gaped at him. "This is 'casual' for you? This would be what most prosecutors wear on a formal occasion!"

"Really…?"

"Yes! You could wear that to court, and you would still probably be one of the more professional ones there! And…" She paused to smile. "I must say, it suits you rather well."

"Erm…thank you." Edgeworth shifted uncomfortably. The two of them sat in a slightly awkward silence, until…

"Your food, ma'm." The waiter dropped off the cheesecake with a small smile and swiftly departed.

They each took a spoon. Lana hesitantly moved toward the desert. "Do you want the first bite?"

"No, I'll eat what you don't." Edgeworth was reminded of his "sister", who also often left her plate unfinished, leaving him to be the leftover-eater.

"Hm…how about we each just take a little at a time?" Lana beamed. "The perfect compromise!"

Edgeworth nodded. They each took their spoons, and slowly ate, bite by bite. As they came to the center with a strawberry perched precariously on top, Edgeworth pushed the plate toward her.

"Oh, no, Mr. Edgeworth! I can't take this?" She stopped for a moment. "…Did you not like it?"

"No, that's not it." He shook his head. "I just thought…you might like the strawberry."

Grinning, Lana said, "Oh, well, if you insist." She popped the strawberry in her mouth, but then covered her mouth, shaking.

"What's wrong?" Edgeworth leaned toward her, concerned. "Are you choking? Can you breathe?"

Lana held up her hand, signing for him to wait for a moment. A few seconds later, she sat straight up again, laughing.

"…?"

"Sorry, Mr. Edgeworth! See, I realized how dumb I must have looked with such a huge strawberry in my mouth," Lana explained through her fading laughter. "I didn't want to embarrass myself…"

"Oh, I see." _Actually, it was a bit…cute. Gah! No! Stop!_

After Edgeworth paid the bill, they both got up, and reentered the sunlight outside. Lana turned to him.

"I suppose you're wondering why I chose this restaurant, right?" she asked. "Well…" she turned to walk. Edgeworth followed. "It's because I enjoy supporting these family-run businesses." She smiled, still facing forward. "They're the ones that work so hard to achieve their goals; I think it's an admirable thing, no?

"But anyway…" Lana stopped to face Edgeworth. "Thank you, for the meal. I'll see you at work on Monday, right?"

Edgeworth nodded, but she had already begun walking away with her bags. He too, began to walk toward his car, parked a few blocks away. As he walked, he thought to himself. _She…she's really a good person. Not like…the rest of the world. She cares, even about these poor workers at the restaurant. Well, that…wasn't too bad. But I slipped up! I suppose she thinks I'm an idiot now…Well! I can't let that happen again! I'll….I'll ignore her if I must. I can't afford to let my composure slip so…_

--

As the months went by, Lana continued to try her best to talk to Edgeworth, to try to become friends with him. However, he tended to avoid her and walked by quickly every time he was in the Police Department. She was puzzled by his behavior, but nonetheless continued to greet him whenever she saw him.

Edgeworth spent his time focused on his work, hoping that, if he had an abundance of work to do, he wouldn't think about her.

He was wrong.

Every time she would greet him, he would blush furiously, and walk away quickly before anyone could see his reactions. He would think, _Why do I do that?_, and spend his time trying to think of an explanation, but he always refused to accept the only logical answer.

--

"Heya, Mr. Edgeworth sir!" Gumshoe waved at him. "Merry Christmas!"

Edgeworth walked underneath all of the hanging decorations that obscured the ceiling due to their sheer numbers. "Erm…Merry Christmas, Detective." He glanced uncertainly at the ornaments that loomed overhead. "Are these all really necessary?"

"But of course, sir! We go all out for the holiday season here!"

Sighing, Edgeworth looked around the room. Everyone was in formal attire for the Police Office's holiday party (even Gumshoe, who had managed to find a coat that wasn't tattered). Edgeworth was simply dressed in his prosecutor's outfit. It was formal enough, anyway, he reasoned.

All of the prosecutors of the district and every police officer had attended; everyone except Lana. Edgeworth looked through the crowd, hoping that she would arrive, but also that she wouldn't.

"Who are ya' looking for, sir?"

Edgeworth turned to face Detective Gumshoe, who was standing right behind him. "...Do you need something, Detective?"

"Oh, no, but…"Gumshoe laughed. "I just thought it looked like you were looking for someone."

"Well, you thought wrong" was the cold reply.

After roughly half an hour, Edgeworth got up to walk back to his office. As he began to walk toward the door, Gumshoe called out, "Mr. Edgeworth! Where're you going?"

Edgeworth stared icily at him. "Back to my office. I have paperwork to complete."

He walked to the door, struggling to make it to the entrance through the crowd of chatting people. _I don't know why I came here in the first place_, he thought to himself. _It's absolutely ridiculous….What a foolish thing to do. _He began to walk more quickly, more eager to leave this throng of people. As he was about to make it through the exit, he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the person he walked straight into.

"Ah!"

"Oh, sorry," he apologized quickly. But then he realized who he had bumped into…

"D-Detective Skye!" Edgeworth exclaimed.

Lana smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. Edgeworth. I'm glad to see you made it to the party."

"I…well…I, um…" Edgeworth began to stutter. Clearing his throat, he attempted to regain his composure. He looked at Lana. She was dressed in a red satin dress, accompanied with a diamond necklace. She even put her hair up for the occasion, Edgeworth noticed. _She looks…beautiful. No! There I go again…What is _wrong_ with me?_

The mass of people that had previously been talking so nonchalantly grew silent. Then, snickers began to emerge from the crowd as all eyes looked toward Edgeworth and Lana at the doorway.

Edgeworth's face had an obvious "What in the world are they laughing at?" look. Lana looked upward, and let a small laugh escape.

"What is it?" Edgeworth looked at her with some alarm. "What's so funny?"

"Look." She pointed upward.

Mistletoe.

Edgeworth's eyes widened. _No, no, no… this can't be happening! It's like a nightmare (or perhaps a dream)…No, what am I going to do?! _He looked back at Lana, who was now looking at him a bit expectantly, smiling. _Does she honestly expect me to-…?_

They stood there for roughly two minutes, looking at each other. The crowd was silent, waiting for something to happen.

Finally, Edgeworth couldn't take it anymore.

He ran off, holding his face in his hand.

And Lana was left behind with a confused expression on her face.

--

**Wow, this one was pretty darn long… So, I apologize for any inconsistencies! I'm writing in a limited time frame, so…yeah. :P**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! =)**


	4. Slipping

Almost two months after the Christmas "incident", Lana was slowly loading her files into her car. It was after work, Thursday evening. She heard someone call her name from the other side of the parking lot.

"Lana! Hey! Lana!"

Jake and Neil Marshall walked toward her, dragging a familiar face along with them…

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Lana exclaimed in surprise. She stared sternly at Jake and Neil. "What are you two up to?"

"Well," Jake said with a grin. "The li'l bronco here just had himself a pretty good trial today. _And _we've found out that he just had his 21st birthday. We're gonna go out celebratin'!"

Edgeworth's expression was clearly one of irritation and embarrassment. "Let. Go. Of. Me," he said through gritted teeth.

Jake laughed. "No can do, pardner. We're gonna go have some fun." He glanced up at Lana. "Wanna come with?"

Lana shook her head. "No thanks." She looked at Neil. "But be sure to keep an eye on them, okay?"

With a smile, Neil nodded, and the three of them left. Edgeworth looked back at Lana with a "please, help me" look. She simply smiled and waved.

"Have fun, boys!"

--

It was about 11:30. Lana was curled up in her favorite armchair, reading a novel, when the phone rang. _Why do people call me so late at night?_

She picked up the phone. "…Hello?"

"Hey, Lana. It's Neil." He sounded thoroughly tired.

Lana immediately noticed his tone. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

"Well, you see…Jake was causing a bit of a commotion, so I had to take him home. But, I had to rush, so…I kind of…forgot Mr. Edgeworth."

"You 'forgot' him?!" Lana cried. "How on Earth can you _forget_ a person?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Neil said apologetically. "I'm sorry. But could you possibly pick him up? Jake lives on the other side of town so…"

Lana sighed. "Fine, Neil. But you owe me one."

"Of course."

He then gave her the location of the bar he and Jake had taken Edgeworth to. Slowly, Lana hung up the phone. She walked to Ema's room; she was still awake, reading.

"Ema…" she began.

"Oh! Lana!" Ema exclaimed. She hastily shoved her book under her bed. "I'm sorry, I'll go to bed now…"

"No, it's not that." Lana smiled at her sister from the doorway. "I need to…go help a friend. Here's the phone." She tossed the phone to Ema. "I'll be back in half an hour, maybe less. Call me if anything happens."

"Oh…alright."

--

As Lana pulled into the parking lot, she took a deep breath and braced herself. She had never liked bars, nor alcohol in general. It made people do idiotic things, and she liked being in control of her life.

Lana walked into the building, where loud music was playing, only lessened by the shouts of boisterous people indoors. Toward the back, she saw Edgeworth, who appeared to be having an animated discussion with a customer who looked as though he didn't want to be there.

She made her way to where Edgeworth was sitting. "Mr. Edgeworth," she said softly. "It's late. I'm going to take you home now, okay?"

He looked up in surprise. Lana noticed that his cheeks were slightly red, and his hair and jacket rumpled. _He really looks closer to his age, now, _she thought with a smile.

"…Ms. Skye!" he blurted out. His words were slightly slurred.

"Come on, Mr. Edgeworth." Lana outstretched a hand. "Let's go."

Seeming unsure of his actions, Edgeworth slowly took her hand, and Lana firmly grasped it, pulling him away.

--

Lana helped Edgeworth walk to her car. As she was putting him in the seat, she couldn't help but notice that he was staring at her. She assumed it was because of her clothes; only sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a red scarf for the cold. "Oh, sorry," she said with an apologetic smile. "I just came from my house, I didn't have time to dress nicely…"

"No, you always look nice," Edgeworth let slip from his mouth, which he quickly clasped a hand over.

Lana laughed. "Mr. Edgeworth, I'm sure that's just the alcohol talking."

"…"

Lana got into the driver's seat. "Alright, Mr. Edgeworth, where do you live?"

"…Miles."

Lana widened her eyes. "Do you live far from here? Where—"

"No," Edgeworth said slowly, trying to enunciate. "You can…call me Miles." He blushed furiously. "If you want," he added hastily.

Lana smiled warmly. _He's just a normal guy on the inside, after all. _"Well then, Miles. Where do you live?"

Edgeworth pointed in a general direction, and Lana drove.

Trying to sound more professional, Edgeworth cleared his throat. "Ms. Skye, I…apologize for my…inconvenience." His words were still slurred and slow. It was amusing for Lana to see him still try so hard to be formal.

"It's not a problem, Mr-…Miles." She smiled as they turned onto a street. "Now, where should I go from here?"

"Erm…yes, well..." Edgeworth studied their surroundings. However, his face fell as he realized…

"…I…don't remember…"

"What?!" Lana exclaimed. She quickly parked the car on the side of the road. "Are you serious?!"

Edgeworth looked away. "I…don't…know….."

Lana sighed and sat back in her seat. She examined all of her options, and supplied the only plausible solution she could think of.

"Here's what we'll do." Lana spoke slowly and clearly for Edgeworth. "You can spend the night at my house, and I'll take you home in the morning. Okay?"

Edgeworth reddened. "…Erm….well…" He then tried to take up his 'formal tone' again. "I'm not quite sure if that's…appropriate."

"Don't worry," Lana laughed. "There's an extra bed for you. Alright?"

Edgeworth turned back away and mumbled something that sounded like, "…I suppose…"

--

Lana drove back to her apartment building. As they reached the parking garage, Lana got out of the car and opened the door for Edgeworth, who still wouldn't face her.

"Miles, are you going to be okay?"

"I-…I'm just…_so _sorry…for everything…"

Lana tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Miles, it's not a problem. It's what friends do, right?"

"…Friends?" He rolled the word around in his mouth, as though it was something he had never heard of.

"Yes." She smiled. "We're friends, okay?" She extended a hand.

Hesitantly, Edgeworth nodded, and took it. He stood unsteadily. His footing was uneven; it frightened him. Lana, noticing this, guided him through the hallways. As they approached her door, Edgeworth spoke again.

"Detective…Skye…" he said. "I'm…sorry."

"Miles, didn't we already discuss this?" she said with a small smile. "I don't have a problem with driving you home tomorrow…"

"No, not that," said Edgeworth, as though it was obvious what he was actually talking about. "I mean…at the…Christmas party…"

Lana thought back to it. Edgeworth's sudden running away had been rather surprising.

"…What about it?"

"I'm sorry…for running…" he murmured. "It's just that, I've never….never…" His face reddened as he thought back to he event.

Lana looked at him. "…You've never kissed anyone before? Is that it?"

Eyes downcast, Edgeworth said nothing, but Lana knew the answer. They arrived in front of Lana's apartment.

"Well, would you like to?"

Edgeworth looked at her in shock. "I-…why would I… erm…I mean-"

Lana laughed and looked into his eyes. "It's okay, Miles. I wouldn't tell."

Edgeworth looked back at her. He thought that she was joking, but the sincerity, the concern shining in her eyes…it was almost too much for him…

"I…wouldn't know what to do…" he mumbled.

"Here. Just do what I say, alright?" She smiled. "Now, close your eyes. " Edgeworth closed his eyes. "Now, just relax." He did so.

Lana observed him. He looked so young, now that he wasn't trying to act older than his age. She smiled, leaned in, and pressed her lips against his. At this, Edgeworth's eyes opened in shock, but he made no movement away. They remained like that for half a minute, with Lana's hands on his shoulders. When they broke apart, Lana grinned. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Edgeworth still looked as though he was in shock. "Erm…I suppose…"

Laughing softly, Lana indicated toward the door. "Come on; let's get inside before…"

"Aha!" A triumphant cry came from behind her. Lana gritted her teeth. _Before that happens._ She turned around and forced a smile for the middle-aged woman now standing in front of them. It was Mrs. Jones, owner of the complex, grinning slyly at Lana and Edgeworth.

"So, Lana, bringing boys home now, eh?" She examined Edgeworth. "Not bad. When's the wedding?"

Lana sighed. "Mrs. Jones, we're just friends."

"Oh really?" Mrs. Jones raised an eyebrow. "You look more than 'just friends' to me, but…I'm old! What do I know! But, if you're only friends…" She looked at Edgeworth deviously. "I'll have you know that _I'm _available…"

Edgeworth looked surprised at the thought. "Who…me?"

Lana cut him off. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jones. But he's not interested…"

"Oh, but I'm sure once we get to know each other—" Mrs. Jones continued. "You know, I'm an actress! I've been in a bunch of commercials…"

"Mr. Edgeworth here is going to become the world's top prosecutor some day," Lana responded coldly. Mrs. Jones's face fell.

"Prosecutor?" She made a semi-pouting look, which could not be executed effectively. "Why, that's no fun! Why don't you join me, Mr. Edgeworth?" She grinned slyly. "We can become stars! Just you, and me—"

"Now, if you don't mind," Lana interrupted. "Mr. Edgeworth is sick, so he really must be going." Lana swiftly opened the door and forced Edgeworth inside. Mrs. Jones looked crossly at her.

"Now, Lana. What was the meaning of that?" she asked with a forced grin, signs of irritation creeping their way onto her face.

Lana returned an equally forced smile. "Oh, nothing. I just think he should be getting some rest, rather than be harassed by a woman _twice his age._" She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. She had gone to far…

Mrs. Jones gasped in outrage. "Why, Lana! I'm surprised at you! I'd think that you'd have some _gratitude_, after I allowed you to stay here after the…_incident_," she responded with a tone of animosity.

Staring at her coldly, Lana turned her back, but kept her eyes on the woman. "Yes, Mrs. Jones. You've been terrific." At this, she quickly entered her apartment and shut the door.

--

Edgeworth looked at her questioningly. "…Is there something wrong, Detective Skye?"

Lana took his jacket and hung it up on the coat rack. "No, nothing, Miles. It's just that woman…"

"Is she holding something over you?"

Facing him quickly, Lana said a bit too loudly, "How do you know?!"

Edgeworth winced at her volume. "Well," he said softly. "I could hear…through the door. Something about an 'incident'?"

Lana gave him a bittersweet smile. _Even when intoxicated, he's still a deductive genius. _"Yes," she said, almost in a whisper. "You see, when my parents died, I was still in school, and I couldn't pay the bills. But," she looked down, despondently. "I had a sister to take care of, and…" She looked back at Edgeworth. "I'm sorry, I must sound like such a complainer…"

"No, it's fine!" Edgeworth said quickly, but slightly scrambling his words. "I…erm…I'm sorry."

"…It's not your fault." Lana turned her back to reach for a set of sheets from a hallway closet.

"…Ms. Skye."

"Yes?"

"And….you also said….I'll be the world's top prosecutor…Do you honestly mean that?"

Lana kept her back turned to him. "Yes," she said softly. "I've read up on your cases, and…You're quite the genius, Miles. I think you can. Definitely."

Edgeworth flushed slightly. "Th-thank you…" he stammered.

Turning back around, Lana smiled slightly. "You're welcome. Now, let's get you some rest. "

Lana gestured toward a couch. "I lied about the bed. Sorry." She tossed the blankets onto the couch and set Edgeworth down on it. "Now, I'll get you a glass of water, and you try to get a good night's sleep, alright?" He nodded obediently.

--

Eventually, Lana was able to sleep. It was such a long day, so she slept soundly. However, she awoke to a loud voice all too soon…

"Lana! Wake up, Lana!"

Lana blearily opened her eyes. "…Hmm?"

Ema was standing over her bed, frightened. "Lana! There's a stranger in the house!"

"What?!" Lana sat up, but then realized, "Oh, that's just Miles."

"Who?"

"My friend that I had to go help last night. He…needed a place to stay, so I let him sleep over here."

"Oh… your 'friend', huh…"

Lana sighed. "Not you too, Ema…"

Ema laughed. "I'm just kidding! Come on! I have to get to school!"

--

Edgeworth awoke with a start. His head pounded, and as he observed his surroundings, he realized that he had no idea where he was.

…_What happened last night? _He thought to himself. _I was dragged to that…place…and then…Lana? Lana-no, Ms. Skye- came…she drove me…here? _He sat up on the couch, and saw that a note was placed on a nearby table. He walked over and read it.

_To Mr. Edgeworth:_

_I had to drop off my sister at school. Help yourself to anything in the fridge._

_~Lana._

_P.S. I've already called you in sick for work, so please don't try to go. Just rest, and take the day off. Don't go anywhere, or else we may not be able to find you._

_P.P.S. Happy birthday._

--

**This chapter was a tad too long for my liking, but…oh well.**

**Oh, and I have no idea how drunk people actually act, so I apologize for inaccuracies.**

**Thanks for reading! =)**_  
_


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